Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned the rights to Marvel Comics or its characters. It all belongs to Marvel, Disney, Stan Lee, and whoever else has the rights. I am not making any kind of profit off of this work, it is all just for fun and freedom of expression.

Warning: Graphic descriptions of violence and sexual content.

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Chapter 15

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" Oh Thor before I forget, Loki actually left his coat here from when he first came back to the tower with me."Steve said as he picked up the folded black wool peacoat and held it out to Thor.

Thor reached out and ran his hand over the soft black wool of his brother's jacket, a smile coming to his face at the thought of Loki before he turned his blue eyes to Steve and gave him a warm look as he shook his head.

" No Friend Steve, you hold on to it. You can give this back to my brother yourself the next time you see him."He said simply.

Steve felt the breath leave him for a moment, while Thor's words were uncomplicated enough, the meaning underlying them was no less profound.

Thor didn't have a problem with him continuing to see Loki. Steve could see Loki again and the very thought made relief and several other emotions crash through him like ocean waves. Blinking, Steve nodded and brought the coat closer to himself as he spoke.

" Okay Thor, I will."He said with as much casualness as he could muster. Then he remembered his sketchpad and the latest portraits he had been working on, the ones he was sure Thor hadn't seen when the Asgardian had flipped through the pages a little while back.

" Hey Thor, can I get your opinion on something?"Steve asked as he set Loki's peacoat back into its corner of his sofa and picked up his sketchpad.

" Certainly Friend Steve, what is it?"Thor asked curiously as he watched Steve carefully flip through his book of drawings.

" I've been working on a little something for Loki, I wanted to get your feedback on it."Steve explained as he finally reached the last drawing and then held the sketchpad out to the Thunderer.

Thor took the sketchpad and the moment his blue eyes fell on the portraits Steve had been working on, his jaw dropped unashamedly in awe at what they beheld.

The portraits were a nearly life-like rendering of Loki... and Thor. It was an image of the two Princes of Asgard in their ornate armor with Thor's arm around Loki's shoulder, the both of them smiling brightly at each other against a soft grey and white ombre background that made the portraits really stand out.

" I know it isn't much but do you think Loki will like it?"Steve asked, hoping that at the very least he didn't sound as unsure as he felt.

Thor slowly looked up at Steve and blinked at his friend slowly, his mind seemingly not able to compute Steve's hesitance and uncertainty with the quiet yet extraordinary talent that was on display across the sketchpad the Thunderer was holding in his hands.

" Friend Steve, your talent is incredible. I know my brother will absolutely adore this. I adore it."Thor said with reverence clear in his voice as he looked between Steve and the sketchpad.

Steve felt his cheeks heat up at Thor's praise for his artwork.

" Thanks Thor, I really appreciate it."Steve said warmly before a thought struck him.

" Hey Thor, would you like a drawing of you and your brother too?"He asked eagerly.

Thor's eyes widened before a bright grin spread across his face.

" I would very much love one Friend Steve, thank you for being so considerate."Thor said enthusiastically.

" Awesome, just give me a couple of days and I'll have them both ready."Steve said as he grinned back at his other worldly friend.

They talked for a little while later before Thor finally took his leave, the Thunderer feeling a hundred times lighter than he had when he had dropped in on his friend, but now mulling over the very important truths he had gained from his deeply personal talk with Steve. Steve himself felt the same, having Thor's approval doing wonders to lift his spirits, but his vow not to pursue Loki romantically still like a lump of lead in his heart.

Seeing that distraction was in order, Steve picked up his sketchpad and flipped to a fresh new page, an image of the two Asgardian brothers already forming in his mind for him to commit to paper and color.

A couple of days later...

" Tony is my hair okay?" Virginia "Pepper" Potts asked as she looked at herself critically in the mirror and pressed down on non-existent hairs that were sticking up.

" Pep you've asked me that almost a dozen times already, your hair is half up half down perfection and your appropriately casual outfit looks so good I would love nothing more that to rip it off you later... with my teeth. You look magnificent."Tony said as he came up behind his lady love and wrapped his arms around her, adding a growl to his voice as he pressed as kiss behind her ear.

Pepper shivered and let out a breathless little laugh before she sighed and turned in Tony's arms to press a proper kiss to his lips. Tony smiled against Pepper's lips and kissed her back before they drew away. The genius was dressed casually in jeans and one of his favorite Ramones long sleeve shirts, while Pepper was dressed in a lovely jade colored georgette poet blouse with billowy sleeves and black skinny jeans. A pair of elegant black and silver heeled pumps finished out the look.

The pair smiled at each other before Tony spoke.

" Don't get why you're being so anxious. You are Virginia Potts, CEO of Stark Industries, you meet new people all the time." Stark teased.

" Yeah well, not every day you get to meet a Norse God who came back from the dead."Pepper countered.

" Well said Norse God happens to actually be a pretty down to Earth dude with a regular job and great taste in suits."Tony grinned.

" If I didn't know any better Mr. Stark I'd think you were a little smitten with Loki of Asgard."Pepper teased now.

" Maybe a smidge, nothing like our very own Captain Stars and Stripes though."Tony grinned.

" You shouldn't talk about stuff like that Tony, that is none of our business."Pepper said sternly.

" It's one of those open secrets among us Avengers, and you know I trust you Pep. Just wait till Loki gets here and I guarantee you will see so much UST between him and Cap it'll take everything in you not to say something."Tony said with glee while Pepper chuckled and shook her head.

" Pardon the interruption Sir and Ms. Potts, just to inform you that Col. Rhodes has arrived at the Penthouse."Jarvis informed dutifully.

" Awesome, thanks Jarv."Tony called before gesturing for him and Pepper to finally get out of his bedroom.

They made their way out, Pepper giving Tony's posterior a playful slap.

" Oh my God Miss Virginia Potts!"Tony exclaimed in mock scandal as he rubbed dramatically at his affected buttock, earning a fond eyeroll from his girlfriend as they made their way to the penthouse living room.

As they walked past the kitchen area Pepper and Tony stopped, both because of the absolutely mouthwatering smells that hit them like a wall, and the sight of Steve Rogers AKA Captain America himself showing off his incomparable cooking and multitasking skills as he stirred here and flipped there and checked the oven in one fluid motion.

" He sure is pulling out all the stops."Pepper said quietly with a smile, taking a moment to breathe in the absolutely delicious aromas.

" The greenest eyes and the sharpest cheekbones to ever beam down to planet Earth are the key to getting Capsicle all-in on a cooking binge."Tony said as he gave Pepper a cheeky grin and ushered her along. When they reached the penthouse living room they were glad to see that Rhodey wasn't alone. Tony's long time friend was in deep conversation with Clint, while Natasha and Bruce were fixing themselves drinks from the bar.

" Hey Honey Bear!"Tony greeted with a grin.

" Hey man how's it?"Rhodey replied with a matching grin as he met Tony halfway and they clasped hands.

" Hey Pep."Rhodey said as he then turned his attention to the redhead.

" Hey Rhodey, good to see you!"Pepper replied happily as she and Rhodey shared a peck on the cheek.

The three of them joined Clint on the sofa and started peppering Tony's best friend with questions about how things were going in the Air Force. Tony could see that Pepper and Rhodey were both a little anxious about tonight.

It might have been toted as a casual Friday night dinner at Avenger's tower, but the underlying fact was that this would be the first time Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy were going to meet Loki, the actual Loki of Asgard and not the lie that had rained down an alien invasion over the city not longer than eight months earlier. Tony had sent Happy out to go get the dessert for the evening, a selection of cakes and pastries from one of the best French Patisseries in the city to take some of the meal prep madness off of Steve, but Tony had seen that his right hand man was trying his hardest to mask his anxiety about meeting the actual Norse God of Mischief.

Pepper obviously wanted to make a good impression, and after personally handling the press and public regarding Loki's truth, his innocence, and the horrors he had endured, she truly wanted to meet Loki and make sure he was alright. That's who Pepper was and why she had Tony Stark's heart despite word to the contrary that he didn't have one.

Rhodey though, was a bit harder to read. When Tony had brought him up to speed about how Loki had not been the one actually responsible for the Chitauri invasion, he had been skeptical... until he had seen the video of Ebony Maw mocking Thor and Loki falling down dead in the crater in Tony's floor and just a snippet of Loki's horrendous autopsy video. After that he had been convinced of the Norse God's innocence. Upon learning that Loki had come back to Earth and was slowly repairing the damage done to New York City, the Air Force Colonel had voiced to his best friend that if an opportunity to meet Loki ever arose, that he would appreciate an invite. Fortuitously enough a few days ago, during one of Loki's frequent video calls to the tower, Thor had asked Loki to join them for dinner, not for anything more than because he just really missed his brother. If Tony was being honest with himself, he and the others were very eager to see Loki for themselves too, almost embarrassingly so. They just let Thor be the most vocal about it.

Loki himself had acquiesced to his brother's request with a smile, no doubt eager to see Thor himself, and maybe the other tall, blue eyed blond in their midst. Tony had been quick to ask him if it was okay if the billionaire invited Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy so they could all meet the God of Mischief finally. It still blew Tony's mind when Loki had almost shyly conveyed that he was agreeable to meeting the three people closest to Tony besides the Avengers themselves. There was a guarded eagerness there that Tony immediately recognized, the wanting to connect with new people but being so full of apprehension after going through horrible trauma.

Tony understood, and that's all he had to say about that.

The billionaire looked to the elevator when it chimed and the door slid open to reveal Happy Hogan carrying a single cake box, while beside him a smiling Thor stepped out carrying several more.

" Greetings all, Friend Hogan has returned with the evenings desserts!"Thor declared loudly.

Happy let out a small chuckle as Thor's words were met with goodnatured cheering from everyone in the living room.

" Hey Thor, let's go put all these in the fridge before they melt."Happy said as he nodded towards the kitchen area, the Thunderer smiling and nodding in agreement.

The pair made their way down the hall to the kitchen area were Steve was pulling a piping hot beef roast out of the over.

" Holy crap that looks spectacular Captain!"Happy commented with his mouth already watering at the sight of the perfectly cooked block of meat and accompanying bed of vegetables.

" Oh hey Happy, glad you approve."Steve said as he set the heavy baking tray down on an empty part of the stove and turned to see Tony's head of security and Thor walk in.

" Hey Thor."Steve said a little more quietly.

" Greetings Friend Steve."Thor said as he smiled back at Steve.

There was still an hour left before Loki was set to arrive, and Thor had no doubt Steve could prepare ten more items in that time if he felt it necessary, such was the Midgardian man's dedication... Such was Steve's love.

Thor felt protectiveness surge through him, not only for his younger brother, but also for his good friend and fellow Avenger who had confessed his feelings for said younger brother, yet chose to sacrifice it all, to deny any path to pursuing Loki and remaining merely his friend. Thor was torn, part of him wanting to tell Loki everything, to have his brother see that there was someone else in all of Midgard beside his own brother who loved him with all his heart. To tell Loki that Steve loved him just as he is, without any pretense or glamor. Most or Thor though, knew that while he had been made privy to Steve's truth, it would not do him any good to try and interfere, that for all of his well-meaning intentions, his match-making skills would be like bringing a dragon from Muspelheim into his mother's prized rose garden, and epic disaster.

Thor before his banishment to Midgard would have either not taken things seriously and made fun of Loki and his Midgardian admirer or worse, been jealous and foolish enough to see fit to smash the lowly Midgardian that dared gander at his younger brother with Mjolnir. He was not that person anymore, it actually made him feel ashamed that he ever was. Loki had been put through hell and death, and come back from it to be as he was now, more or less alright and an actual productive member of Midgardian society, he was by no means helpless. Thor just wanted Loki to be happy, after everything, he just wanted his little brother to be happy.

The Thunderer quickly shook himself of his melancholy laced thoughts and focused instead on carefully placing the many boxes of fine pastries and cakes he was holding onto the waiting shelves of Tony's high-end refrigerator. Once his hands were free Thor turned to Steve fully.

" Friend Steve, you have truly outdone yourself."Thor said as he looked from what Steve was currently preparing, to the piping hot dishes already waiting on the dining table.

" I just hope it's enough for all of us, we've all got above average and healthy appetites and your brother can keep up with us just fine."Steve said with a shy smile as he remembered how several plates of food had disappeared into the Norse God of Mischief with no problem when Loki had stayed with them those precious two days.

" Oh, I dare say this feast you have made will be more than sufficient for all of us."Thor assured before he grew a little more serious.

" Will you be alright Friend Steve?"He asked quietly.

Steve looked up and blinked at Thor, touched by his good friend's concern but also feeling his heart lurch a little. In all honesty, Steve didn't think he would be alright tonight, it would be torture to have Loki so close and yet so far, even though he himself had been the one to promise not to pursue the man he loved and jeopardize their friendship.

Steve just shrugged and sent Thor what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Thor of course saw right through it but chose not to comment. It pained him greatly, this dilemma but as he had thought before, Thor would best serve by not interfering. Thor reached out and clapped Steve on the shoulder before he made a quiet exit back to the living room, leaving Steve to put the finishing touches on dinner.

One he had made the finishing touches and set the final serving dish down, Steve hastily made his way to the elevator past all his friends, promising to greet Pepper and Rhodey properly once he was in proper, clean attire for the evening. Thankfully the emphasis was on it just being a casual get together, so Steve grabbed up his favorite pair of blue jeans and a dark cerulean blue button up shirt. As he stood before one of the mirror panels in his bedroom and lightly tucked the ends of his shirt into his waistband, Steve could not help the thrill of eagerness that passed through him.

In just a few minutes he'd get to see Loki again. It made him so happy, but at the same time it made guilt surge up through him as well. Besides calls and texts, Steve hadn't dared to actually meet with Loki in person, and had gently declined Loki's invites to coffee or lunch. It wasn't really because he was afraid of how Thor might react, ok maybe a little, but it was also to give both Loki and himself some space. Those two days had been emotionally draining to the Norse God, and Steve himself needed so time to process the fact that he had actually confessed his feelings of actual soul-reviving love for Loki to said Norse God's older sibling of all people.

Steve quickly shook himself of his musings and grabbed up is comb, giving his blond locks a cursory work through and giving himself a once over in he mirror before he turned, his eyes going to his desk by the window. Laying on top of it were two packages, one wrapped in green paper wrapping paper, the other in red, and Loki's folded up peacoat off to one corner. Steve felt another wave of anticipation go through him as he looked at these items. Steve made a b-line for his desk and quickly picked up these three items, wrapping the two packages in Loki's coat for some added security before he headed back upstairs.

As he rode the elevator up, Steve looked to the items he was carefully holding, hoping that both Loki and Thor would like what he crafted. He also hoped he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself in front of everyone, especially Loki. With a small sigh Steve steadied his nerves and waited for the elevator to arrive back at the penthouse. The elevator finally eased to a stop and the door slid open to reveal the warmly lit penthouse, where everyone was gathered and mingling happily.

Tony was the first to spot Steve as the super soldier stepped out of the elevator.

" Looking good there Super Soldier!"Tony said with genuine appreciation.

" Thanks Tony."Steve said with a shy smile and his cheeks warming lightly.

" Hey Steve, what you go there?"Pepper asked as he gestured to Loki's coat, Rhodey fidgeting a little beside her, still a little star-struck whenever he got the chance to see Steve. The man was surprisingly as normal as they came, but he was still THE Captain America after all, one of his childhood heroes, live and in person.

" Oh this? Loki left this in my living room when he came to visit last time, figured I'd give it back to him tonight."Steve explained, his eyes going to Thor who simply smiled and nodded.

He didn't catch the knowing look that passed between his friends, and the curious looks on Pepper and Rhodey's faces as he passed.

Steve set the coat and the items they were hiding down on shelf area Tony had by the stylish fireplace and set it down beside the slice of geode his friend kept there on display. Steve quickly hurried over to his friends.

" Hey Rhodey, how are you?"Steve asked with a warm smile.

" I-I am okay Cap, happy I got the invite to dinner."Rhodey said trying to keep his cool as he and Steve shook hands.

" Course you are, you've been wanting to try some of Cap's cooking ever since I sent you that picture of that super cheesy beef casserole he made for dinner last week."Tony teased as Rhodey sent him one of his patented death glares for blabbing.

" Aw Rhodey I actually didn't make a casserole for tonight, if I'd a known-"Steve began to saw apologetically when Rhodey held up his hand and shook his head.

" Hey now, no worries on the casserole, if those absolutely delicious aromas coming from Tony's kitchen are anything to go by, I am not going to be one bit disappointed."Rhodey said as he and Steve shared a smile.

Steve took a seat next to Bruce and mingled with everyone, answering the many questions about what kind of dishes he made, and also recounting one of his more ridiculous escapades with Buck and the other Howling Commandos that involved a loose grenade and a very ill-tempered white goose. Steve was chuckling at Tony lightly going off on Clint for once again partaking in his habit of crawling through the towers ventilation shafts when Jarvis' always pleasant voice sounded.

" Ladies and gentlemen pleased be advised that Mr. Odinson the younger is set to arrive at any moment, he simply wishes not to cause any alarm."

" Thanks for the heads up Jarv."Tony called, many of the others sharing his sentiment while an eager Thor was already on his feet and almost vibrating with excitement.

Just as Steve himself rose to his feet, the air in the penthouse shifted, the hairs on his arms standing on end. Then Pepper was letting out a startled yelp as just a few feet away by the glass wall that offered its spectacular view of the city there was this soft, noiseless eruption of shimmery green smoke-like energy. Steve felt a thrill of excitement course through his heart as he watched the green smoke swirl into a column and something solid began to smoothly materialize within it. The shapeless became a human figure, and then the smoke-like seidr grew brighter for a moment before it melted away, revealing the tower's much anticipated dinner guest.

There he was, Loki Odinson finally in the flesh. The God of Mischief and current Metropolitan Museum of Art historian and exhibit designer. The Norse God was a vision of simple elegance. He had on a pair of dark blue jeans, stylish black boots, and a black henley shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His long, raven black hair was combed back and parted to the side, falling about his shoulders in soft looking waves.

Then a blond blur shot past them all and the next thing everyone heard was Loki's silvery pleased laughter as he was summarily tackled by his very eager older brother.

" Brother you've finally arrived!"Thor cried exuberantly as he all but lifted Loki off his feet and squeezed him well.

" Oh brother you're squishing me."Loki said with a chuckle, tellingly not making any more to push said brother away as he wrapped his own arms around Thor and squeezed him back just as hard.

" Well obviously, haven't had the chance to in so long Brother!"Thor said before squeezed Loki some more for good measure, earning more silvery laughter from his younger sibling.

From where he was now standing, Tony smirked good-naturedly at the looks of quiet awe painted across the faces of his girlfriend, best friend, and head of security/confidant.

" Now that is actually a very beautiful man." Rhodey said with his dark eyes glued to the sight of the newly arrived Norse God.

" No lie there."Happy agreed as he gazed at Loki curiously.

" You weren't kidding about those cheekbones."Pepper said as she sent Tony a mischievous look that had the billionaire snorting, any other time he would have felt even the smallest twinge of unease at his girlfriend eyeballing such a highly attractive otherworldly individual, but seeing as to how said otherworldly individual was just as gone for a certain Captain as said Captain was for him, Tony had no qualms. Besides that, Pepper was Pepper, she could ogle to her heart's content.

When Thor and Loki finally unwound themselves from each other, the Thunderer wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders and led him to the center of the penthouse living room where everyone else was eagerly waiting for him.

" Steve!"Loki said eagerly as he broke away from Thor and made a b-line straight for the super soldier with a brilliant grin across his face as his bright green eyes settled on the Super Soldier before anyone else.

" Loki hey!"Steve greeted with a grin of his own as he successfully stopped himself from scrambling to get to Loki and instead stepped calmly to meet the man he was secretly in love with halfway, the two of them coming together in a warm embrace. Loki wrapped his arms firmly around Steve's broad shoulders, while the Super soldier's own arms went around Loki's trim waist and back.

From where he stood Thor resisted the urge to sigh, knowing what he knew and once again respecting how much pain Steve Rogers was willing to endure, what he was willing to sacrifice just to make sure Loki stayed as alright as he was.

Pepper turned wide eyes to Tony who just sent he a knowing look. Rhodey tilted his head with an intrigued look on his face, while Happy openly gawked because in all honesty while they knew that Steve Rogers had befriended Loki of Asgard months earlier, it was still a bit jarring to see just how good a relationship it turned out to be. With great reluctance on both their parts, Loki and Steve parted a few moments later, still smiling but also trying not to feel awkward.

" UST vortex between them."Tony said under his breath to Pepper.

" Oh I can see that."Pepper whispered back as Tony gestured for her, Rhodey, and Happy to follow him as he stepped forward.

" Hey Magic Pasty Noodle!"Tony greeted with a grin and a wave as he and those closest to him stepped forward.

" Hey back Metal Projectile Genius!"Loki replied with a mirthful chuckle as he and Tony shook hands and came together in a quick half-hug, stunning Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy further. It was a bit jarring to see Tony and Loki engage in a nickname game but not at all unwelcome. If Tony was so at ease with Loki after only knowing him for such a short time, they would be just fine.

" Alrighty here is the trio of awesome who wanted to finally meet you Loki."Tony said as he gestured to his family.

Naturally Loki greeted Pepper first, bowing to her and kissing her hand. If the light blush to her cheeks were anything to go by, Pepper was quite charmed. When it was Happy's turn, Tony's Head of Security was no match for Loki's quiet charm either. Happy might not have known the full, grim details of what happened to Loki, but he did know that the man had been through some kind of indescribable Hell less than a year ago. If his nickname of "Happy" alone could get Loki to smile as wide and genuine as he was, Happy was going to count that as a win. This left Tony's best friend and closest confidant.

Rhodey and Loki stood face to face, regarding each other. Loki's expression was curious, if a little guarded since he didn't know what to expect, while Rhodey's expression was unreadable. The green-eyed God towered over the Air Force Colonel, yet their footing was equal. It was Loki who made the first move.

" Thank you for your service Colonel Rhodes, you honor me with your presence."Loki said quietly as he held out his hand, silent respect shining in his green eyes as he met Rhodey's dark eyes without fail.

" The honor is mine. It's not every day you're meeting another Norse God straight out of mythology. Good to meet you Loki of Asgard."Rhodey said as he reached out and accepted Loki's hand, the two of them shaking firmly, their hands lingering as Rhodey spoke.

" You doing ok Loki?"He asked, hoping it wasn't too loaded a question.

Loki seemed to contemplate the question a moment before he allowed some of his walls to drop, and a slightly crooked smile to turn up his lips as he spoke.

" I am alright... most of the time Colonel Rhodes. Better now that I am here. It's been a bit of long and busy week you see."Loki replied honestly and for the briefest of moments Rhodey could see in those other worldly green eyes just the barest hint of the seemingly endless reservoirs of pain Loki kept so carefully hidden.

From where he stood Steve felt his heart give an almighty lurch at Loki's quietly honest but no less gut-wrenching words. Thor looked quietly devastated standing just a few feet away from his brother.

" I get it man and please, call me Rhodey."Rhodey said simply with a quiet smile.

Loki nodded and gave Rhodey a shy smile before nodding. They squeezed each others hand for a final time before letting go.

There was this long moment of heavy silence, everyone having heard the exchange between Loki and Rhodey, the rawness beneath the casual tone. Pepper reached for Tony's hand, squeezing it hard as she felt a telltale burn overtake her eyes for a moment before she blinked it away. It was Natasha who made the first move, stepping forward on her turn to greet the newly arrived God of Mischief.

" Good evening Prince Loki."She said airily with a small smile, even doing a little curtsy in the silver cap sleeve dress she was wearing.

" Evening's greetings to you in turn my dear Lady Romanov."Loki said with a genuine smile and a proper bow.

In an instant the tension dissipated and everyone relaxed as they watched Loki give Natasha what had by now become her customary kiss on the hand. Clint and Bruce immediately came forward to take their turns in greeting Loki. Bruce and Loki shook hands, and then the former's green counterpart made a momentary appearance in the form of Bruce's whole body pulsing green and shifting for a split second, the man emitting a low grumble before quieting. Loki naturally acknowledged Hulk as he always did, earning a rumble of approval from the behemoth within Bruce's psyche. Clint and Loki greeted each other warmly, clasping arms. The archer with his sharp gaze was quick to notice that Loki seemed the slightest bit tired, that something was off just beneath the surface that had nothing to do with the Norse God's earlier interaction with Rhodey. Clint kept mum though, and instead focused on looking forward to what would surely be a lively evening with everyone gathered. Pepper and Rhodey both grinned and shared a look with Tony when they witnessed Loki share a warm greeting with Jarvis as well, in no way intending to leave out any of the members of Tony's household it would seem. If it were possible, even the A.I. sounded fond as he spoke to Thor's younger brother.

" Oh before I forget."Loki said as he quickly rushed back over to Tony and Pepper, gracefully waving his hands together to access his trusty pocket dimension.

The next thing Pepper was let out a startled little laugh as Loki presented her and Tony with an Imperial sized bottle of rich red wine. As Loki handed the unexpected present over to Tony, everyone watched the genius inventor's eyes grow comically wide as he caught sight of the name emblazoned on the bottle's label.

" Holy shit this is Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 from Napa Valley!"Tony exclaimed, Pepper looking gobsmacked beside him.

" I take it my brother has presented you with a good choice Man of Iron?"Thor asked curiously, though with a proud look to Loki who felt his cheeks heat up a little.

" Good choice? Dude this is one of the rarest and most expensive wines in the whole of the United States! Even I've had a tough time getting my hands on this stuff!"Tony explained.

" Loki this is too much, you shouldn't have!"Pepper said as she sent the raven haired god this look of tender gratitude that had Loki ducking his head shyly but smiling as he shook his head.

" Think nothing of it My Lady, I'd be a rubbish dinner guest if I showed up empty-handed this time around."

From where he stood Happy couldn't help but quietly marvel at the sight. He had been with Pepper safe and away from the chaos New York had descended into during the Chitauri Invasion, but he had seen the pictures and the footage Jarvis recorded of the confrontation that had taken place in this very penthouse, along with the horrifying aftermath and the truths that came with it. The real Loki was already showcasing that he was a completely different person by leaps and bounds.

" This time around? Loki you don't mean you actually feel bad about not bringing anything when you came back here to the tower with me that day do you?"Steve asked incredulously.

Loki turned to Steve and gave him this adorably sheepish look before he simply shrugged and smiled crookedly

It took everything in Steve not to rush over and take Loki into his arms, and there was a telling green tint to Bruce's cheeks as he somehow managed to keep his alter-ego from making an explosive, unscheduled appearance. Sensing an immediate need for changing the subject, Pepper naturally took charge and smoothly directed everyone to head over to the circular sofa so they could catch up and also for her, Rhodey, and Happy to finally get to know the true God of Mischief while Tony made a quick stop in the dining room area to put Loki's ultra-expensive gift on the table laden with a feast to open later during dinner.

When Tony got back, Loki was already regaling everyone with the latest happening at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and leaving them in near hysterics

" So what you're saying is that a few months back some anonymous artist randomly sent the museum these paintings of disembodied cleavage and this week you guys got a special delivery from this same artist and they sent paintings of man parts so that the cleavage doesn't feel lonely?"Clint asked with an incredulous smile.

" Pretty much yeah, this time my boss had the honor of picking out the best Johnson out of the bunch and now "he" hangs beside "her" in the Contemporary Wing. I must say that guests have been quite pleased with the match."Loki said while somehow keeping a straight face.

" Cool."Clint said casually with a nod.

There was a beat of silence and then everyone was losing it all at once, Loki's silvery chuckles mingling almost harmoniously with everyone.

" It's been really hectic at the museum I must say."Loki said with a shake of his head.

" How so Brother?"Thor asked as everyone else gazed at the raven haired god with curiosity.

" A new exhibit for this traveling collection of highly valuable precious metals and rare diamonds is scheduled to open this Monday. For months they have been increasing and fortifying security throughout the entire museum to ensure no one tries to steal anything of value and that everyone who comes to see the display stays safe. The traveling collection is one thing, but no one is taking any chances since there are countless priceless items throughout the establishment. Before I could just walk in with while wearing my ID badge, now I along with everyone else has to jump through a few hoops just to get upstairs to my office. On top of that we have just started prepping for the famous Met Gala happening in May. It's nothing like SHEILD though, they just leave a couple of agents outside The Met and show up right after I rebuild anything."Loki said casually.

In an instance the air stilled and everyone looked to Loki with varying degrees of alarm except for Natasha who was not the least bit surprised.

" Hold up, Chocolate Cyclops has been keeping tabs on you and you're okay with it?"Tony asked, while Thor looked quietly furious beside him.

" Oh yes, it wasn't hard for him to get in contact with me through the fake identity I created to work at the museum. He just rang me up one day on my cellphone and we got to talking. He told me my debriefing with him was enough for the World Security Council to abort any plans of taking me into custody, but they still wanted some monitoring, so the good director and I reached a compromise. I go about my life and just have a couple of agents watching from a distance."Loki explained.

" That is still an invasion Loki, and no one has the right to watch you like that."Steve said firmly, looking deeply unhappy.

" Peace Steve, I am alright with it. If I were to be honest, besides the rebuilding and being in contact with all of you, I actually lead a very boring life. I go to work, go out to lunch with coworkers or by myself on some days, and then I go home. The main highlight of my day is usually when I call the tower and regale all of you with tales of the inner workings of the museum and my more annoying coworkers ongoing relationship drama that I unwillingly have to sit through. I would not be shocked if the World Security Council probably finds me to be quite dull compared to the rest of you."Loki appeased.

" You and dull in the same sentence?"Pepper said eloquently as she tilted her head and sent Loki is quietly incredulous look while Steve just gapped at him.

Rhodey let out a bark of unexpected laughter before he shook his head.

" I just met you and you already got jokes man."He chuckled, earning a winning grin from the God of Mischief.

" Oh you do not know the half of it."Loki said with a glint in his eye as he looked to Thor.

Thor for his part felt his stomach drop to his feet as he recognized that look. His dear brother was about to regale everyone with stories of just how good he was at pranks, and more specifically how perfect a target his beloved older brother made himself for said pranks.

" Brother no."Thor said only for Loki's grin to slowly widen further in glee. Steve of course felt something inside him flutter in a way that only Loki was capable of causing.

" Oh alright, you get a reprieve brother."Loki said as he deflated, before looking up at everyone and giving them a cheeky little wink.

" At least until after dinner."He said with a brilliant grin that lit up his whole face. Thor just shook his head and smiled while everyone else chuckled at Loki's cheekiness.

Everyone took that as the cue to head over to the bigger dinning room Tony had attached to the kitchen area, where the veritable feast Steve had cooked up was ready and waiting.

" Steve Rogers you are impossible. What possessed you to do all this?"Loki said as he turned wide eyes to the unknowing holder of his heart, who simply shrugged and looked shy.

" The occasion called for it."Steve said simply.

" Besides had to make it special for Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy too."He added as a means of deflection, all the while feeling his ears heat up.

Loki resisted the urge to sigh in adoration of the blue eyed soldier before he shook his head and smiled warmly at Steve.

Everyone took their seats, Loki insisting Tony sit at the head of the table with Pepper beside him, going so much as to pull her chair out for her and earning a beaming smile for the red head and some good-natured eye-rolling from Tony and Clint. Rhodey and Happy flanked the couple while Loki repeated his chivalrous gesture with Natasha as she took a seat between Bruce and Clint. Steve took a seat beside Rhodey, much to the Colonel's quiet joy. Loki was a little surprised when Thor gestured for him to take the available seat next to Steve while the Thunderer took the final empty chair at the other end of the long oval table next to Loki, rounding out their group.

Without anymore fanfare everyone got to eating, Loki showcasing his magic by once again slicing dishes into portions and sending the floating to the waiting plate of whichever friend so desired, chuckling as Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy all marveled at his simple use of seidr.

The food Steve had prepared was absolutely delicious, and if Loki were honest with himself, he preferred Steve's cooking over that of the royal cooks back in Asgard at this point. The feasts of Asgard's Great Hall were a spectacle yes, but the key difference seemed to be the ones who prepared the meal. The cooks in Asgard always catered to the All-Father's tastes, and those of the All-mother and Crown Prince, but the Second Prince would find his favorites at the table few and far between. With Steve, he seemed almost in tune with what everyone loved, what flavors suited who, and he seemed to have this innate ability to make items that pleased a pallet as discerning as Loki's with ease.

As Loki enjoyed a perfectly roasted and herbed piece of potato, he smiled inwardly at the thought that maybe, just maybe everything tasted so good was because of the love and care Steve put into his cooking. Loki quickly shook himself of his thoughts and looked up when Tony picked up the bottle of Screaming Eagle while Rhodey got up and retrieved this high-tech looking cordless wine-bottle opener from a waiting side-table off by the wall of the dining room.

With a bit of playfully unnecessary showmanship, Tony used the electric opener to rid the bottle of highly expensive wine of its cork and then held up the bottle like it was the holy grail as he spoke.

" Alrighty, who wants a taste of the really really good stuff? Courtesy of our very own God of Mischief?"Tony asked with a cheeky grin.

There was a whole chorus of "Me" as everyone raised a glass, Loki chuckling and feeling his face heat up a little when there were a few "Thank you Loki" tossed into the mix along with appreciative looks. The wine was poured into the waiting glasses, said glassed with clinked together in toasts, and the wine was thoroughly enjoyed for its undeniable quality. More of the sumptuous meal was enjoyed, Pepper and Loki getting into a lively discussion of the Met Gala and the possible themes that had not yet been released to the public, everyone else subtly marveling at the amount of food Loki was quietly tucking away, maybe even more than Thor.

" You weren't kidding about them Norse God appetites." Rhodey murmured as he watched both Thor and Loki enjoying their third plates of Steve's wonderful cooking.

" Thor we knew about, I can personally attest that he could eat several stores full of pop-tarts all on his own, but where in the heck is Loki putting it all?" Happy commented as he enjoyed some of the buttery grilled vegetables he had taken along side a healthy helping of the perfect beef roast Steve had made.

" Dude literally pulled a bottle of some of the most expensive wine in the country out of thin air with a wave of his hand, you guys honestly surprised he's got an otherworldly metabolism?"Tony quipped as he happily munched on some shrimp scampi.

Rhodey and Happy made noises of agreement before taking a few large bites of their own food and then turning into Loki and Pepper's lively discussion.

" The Met Gala is still months away, for now everyone is worried about gold and diamonds my lady."Loki explained.

" What kind of bling are we talking here Tricks?"Tony asked.

" Oh it's not like the Great Hall of Asgard or the Crystal Caves of Alfheim, but it is a very impressive display of some of Midgard's finest. I haven't laid eyes on anything myself but according to the memo we all got, the collection includes yellow, white, and rose gold jewelry from throughout the centuries, and also examples of such in raw form. Then there are the cut and uncut gems. It wasn't a comprehensive list but I do know that there are some really rare stones among the collection, including Tanzanite and Red Beryl." Loki explained.

" Well that sounds like a really beautiful collection. Would we need tickets to see this exhibit?"Bruce asked with interest, even Hulk wanting to see the 'shiny stuff'.

" Oh no, not as far as I am aware, once you've gained general admission you won't need to pay a separate ticket, everyone just has to pass through heightened security to get into the wing where the collection will be housed."Loki explained.

" Wonder what would happen if we all showed up opening day dressed in our super suits?"Clint joked, earning chuckles from everyone.

" Oh I would welcome the chaos."Loki remarked with a mischievous glint in his bright green eyes. The mischief turned to that genuine warmth Steve loved to see in those unending green depths as Loki continued.

" But honestly I have no doubt that it would thrill everyone if the Avengers showed up in full regalia, especially our youngest patrons. You would be surprised how many Ironman masks and Captain America Shields end up at the lost and found, I even came across some plastic mjolnirs and a Black Widow action figure this one time too during my usual wanderings about the building."Loki explained with a chuckle.

Steve felt his heart do a little flip-flop at Loki talking about children with such fondness. Thor looked quite pleased at the mention of little toy mjolnir's laying about. Tony preened good-naturedly, earning mock eyerolls from Clint, Happy, and Rhodey, while Pepper leaned in and kissed his cheek lovingly. Hulk rumbled with pleasure within Bruce's mind, always pleased by the Avengers' popularity. It was Natasha who spoke next.

" Did you keep the action figure of me at least?"Natasha asked lightly with a small smile and a teasing glint in her own hazel-green eyes.

" Oh I was sorely tempted, but said action figure was better off with the little boy who misplaced it. The child was overjoyed to be reunited with it and declared with great pride that he's going to be just like Black Widow when he grows up. You are much loved my lady." Loki said with an appreciative look of his own sent Natasha's way.

Natasha sat with her eyes wide, the usually unflappable taken slightly aback by such tenderness, from both a little boy happy to have his action figure back and the Norse God of Mischief, both unapologetic admirers of her. Natasha felt several powerful emotions rise up inside of her, the chief being this guarded wonder. With everything that had come before, her past and some of the not so savory things she had done before her fateful run in with Clint Barton that changed the trajectory of her life, the last thing Natasha Romanov ever expected was to have the God of Mischief as a fan.

All eyes were trained on the master assassin, Tony looking thoughtful, Pepper smiling at her fellow red-head with some admiration in her own eyes. Clint didn't hide his grin. Thor raised his glass to Natasha and smiled, while Steve nodded in agreement to Loki's kind words. Hulk grumbled his own approval and Bruce resisted the urge to sigh. Rhodey was looking between Natasha and Loki, once again marveling at the way things were in this moment. This was the real Loki and boy was he powerful without even using his magic. Happy of course had to clamp down on the urge to reveal that out of all the figures within his own secret collection of Avenger funko pops, Black Widow was the queen.

Reigning her emotions back in with practiced ease, Natasha schooled her features and gave Loki one of her rare, genuine smiles.

" Thanks."She said simply.

Loki wordlessly nodded and gave Natasha another warm smile before picking up his own glass and taking a sip of wine. Sensing that a change of topic was well in order, Steve spoke up as he remembers something Loki had just moments ago mentioned.

" Hey Loki? I heard you say something about Alfheim having caves full of crystals?"He asked with genuine curiosity.

Loki smiled brilliantly at the super soldier and nodded.

" Oh yes, Alfheim is the realm of the Light Elves, so naturally the entire place is big on uplighting and all things that glow and sparkle." Loki began, earning chuckles from everyone.

" Sounds like Vegas."Happy said with a laugh.

" Indeed a lot like Vegas, complete with topless dancing during this one festival to signal the start of the Light Elves' new year."Loki said matter of factly, causing Bruce to almost spit out the sip of water he had just taken while Steve felt himself grow hot as he wondered if Loki himself actually partook in said topless dancing. Natasha even snorted for a moment before smoothly covering it with another sip of wine, Clint doing no such thing as he giggled at her expense. Pepper and Rhodey both clamped a hand over Tony's mouth since he was naturally gearing up to say something wildly inappropriate.

" Ah yes, if I recall correctly the people of Alfheim were never a shy bunch and always happy to teach visitors their dance moves if they are so inclined to learn."Thor said as he sent Loki this knowing look.

" Now I wish we could see that for ourselves."Tony lamented once he fought off his girlfriend and his best friend.

" Done."Loki said simply before he raised his hands, which started to glow with bright golden green seidr, and made an elegant and smooth sweeping motion.

The next thing they knew, everyone was sitting on this great glittering stone plateau, with a panoramic view of this otherworldly place.

" Oh wow!"Pepper breathed with wide eyes and an even wider grin of wonder as she took in the panoramic view around her. Rhodey sat gobsmacked on Tony's either side, seeing a whole other realm for the first time.

" Man, you weren't kidding about that uplighting!"Clint said as they were bathed in warm, etherial light.

" How is this possible?"Happy asked in awe.

" Magic."Came the perfectly synchronized reply from Steve and the other Avengers while Loki sent Happy a warm smile as he spoke.

" This is a compilation of my memories of Alfheim, amalgamated together and projected through my seidr to form one cohesive vision. Now what would you all like to see first?" The God of Mischief asked.

" Tempting as topless elves sound, let's start with those crystal caves you mentioned."Tony said once he fought off Pepper and Rhodey.

" Very well."Loki said with a smile and an elegant wave of his hand.

" Man this is like being in one of the fighter jets!"Rhodey exclaimed as the illusion around them smoothly swooped downward like they were all birds that had just taken flight from the plateau. The scenery passed by in bold technicolor, the mortals and Thor looking about every which way were they sat before finally swooping into the yawning mouth of a cave located at the base of a white, almost glowing Alfheim mountain.

" Oh my God."Steve whispered in pure wonderment at what his eyes were beholding.

They were inside the cave, but it looked more like the center of a cosmos. Crystals of all shapes, sizes, and hues glowed and spiraled upwards towards the ceiling. It was like something straight out of a dream, but as Steve turned his gaze towards Loki and saw the soft, nostalgic smile gracing the Prince's face, the Super Soldier could not help but think that it was actually the second most beautiful sight in the room.

From where he sat Thor resisted the urge to sigh. It wasn't lost on him, the way Steve was looking at his brother. Instead of jealousy Thor once again felt a painful sadness course through him at this gut-wrenching situation between Steve and his brother that he was privy to. Thor watched as Steve finally looked away from his brother to fully take in the spectacular sight of the crystals along with everyone else when the Thunderer suddenly remembered a detail about the cave and spoke.

" Brother?"He began to gain Loki's attention.

" Yes Thor?"Loki asked curiously as he turned his eyes away from the crystal cave, taking a momentary glance at Steve beside him before focusing fully on his brother.

" If my memory serves, this part of the cave you are showing us is but the entrance correct? There were several more chambers."Thor said with an eager smile.

" Yes brother, you are correct about that."Loki said with a nod before he turned to the rest of the table who were eyeing them curiously.

" This is but the first chamber in a veritable network of naturally occurring chambers and passages within this particular mountain in Alfheim. What you are seeing is the chamber on the ground level. To see it all would take many hours, as it did when Thor and I snuck in here when we were teenagers."Loki explained as he sent a loving smile Thor's way that had the older brother chuckling fondly.

" So which parts would you like to see next?"Loki said as he turned to everyone else.

A happy grin spread across Loki's face when everyone naturally started talking all at once, enthusiastically voicing their choices.

They ended up seeing the largest chambers and the most spectacular crystal structures that stood, Loki and Thor both enjoying the looks of pure awe on the faces of their mortal friends at such otherworldly sights. And yes, Loki being his cheeky self had gone ahead and projected the Light Elves New Year celebration complete with graceful but very topless dancing.

" Woah, he's got she parts and she's got he parts."Happy said eloquently as he noticed some particular details amidst the many gyrating eleven bodies.

" Indeed, the Light Elves of Alfheim are a very gender fluid people. Many choose to be either male or female but other may choose to be either, and they can always switch if they feel like it."Loki explained casually.

" They are leaps and bounds ahead of us then."Pepper said with a small, sad sigh before brightening up and enjoying the show once more.

Everyone enjoyed what was in essence a virtual tour of Alfheim for a little while longer, finishing up dinner and drinks. Once everyone was done eating, Loki once more took care of the dishes and dinnerware with a simple wave of his hand while Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper hurried off to the kitchen as well to get dessert.

Dessert was definitely less formal than dinner, Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper simply bringing out the many boxes of cakes and pastries and setting them on the circular coffee table with mini plates and utensils.

" Munch away guys."Tony declared as he picked up an eclair for himself and promptly stuffed the whole thing into his mouth with gusto.

" Dude don't stuff it down your gullet all at once!" Rhodey asked with long severing in his tone and a fond smile despite it.

Loki's silvery chuckle mingled with everyone else's at Tony's playful antics as the Norse God picked a lovely blueberry and strawberry tart and a mini opera cake for himself. Conversation quickly turned to some hilarious mishaps suffered by the Avengers, including that one time while Tony was conducting an experiment for a new coolant to add to one of earlier Ironman suits and ended up causing an explosion that turned the whole workshop electric blue, including Tony himself. Another mishap happened to Clint when he got himself tangled in the line he was using to repel down a mountain side in some undisclosed country and ended up in a staring contest with a very annoyed, actual hawk who just wanted to eat it's lunch of freshly caught chipmunk in peace. Of course Loki transformed into red-headed Lukas Odensen to demonstrate how well he could blend in with Midgard and shared more memorable stories of some of the crazy things that can happen at the Met. Of course he made good on his words from earlier and shared some absolutely hilarious stories of Thor's earlier bull-headedness landing him in individual and collective trouble with Loki, Sif, and the Warriors 3.

Like that one time Thor lost Mjolnir and had to masquerade as a bride to the giant Thyrm in order to get it back and spare the goddess Freya from having to go through with the marriage, and how even with his bulging biceps, Thor actually managed to pull it off. Thor of course hid his red face in embarrassment, and the hilarity only doubled when with a wave of his hand, Loki had his older brother in the dress and veil he had worn. The Thor of before his banishment to Midgard would have probably raged and roared, but now Thor just sighed and smiled before getting up and actually strutting around, showing off his wedding dress and playfully batting his eyelashes at Bruce of all people. Bruce took it in stride while Hulk rumbled in actual mirth within his mind. Clint off course took pictures and Tony actually stepped up and asked Thor for a dance like a proper gentleman, to which Thor surprisingly agreed. There was good natured laughter all around as they watched the God of Thunder and the Man of Iron constantly try to take the lead from each other in a sidesplittingly lopsided waltz.

With a wave of Loki's hand Thor's wedding dress and veil melted away, leaving him back in his regular Midgardian attire.

More outlandish stories of Thor's other worldly mishaps followed, from going off on an ill advised adventure to slay a raging dragon only to find out said dragon was acting so crazy because of a very bad hang-nail that Loki was able to fix with his magic, to this other time where Thor won a diplomatic treaty with Svartalfheim by volunteering to do some demolition work for the realm's ruler. Loki decided to leave out the part where after performing his task had taken several court ladies to his guest bed that night after much feasting and drinking. That was Thor then, not who he is now.

Tony and Rhodey shared some hilarious stories of each other's drunken escapades during their college years, and even Steve shared this one story of when he and Bucky somehow ended up in a brothel one night where instead of any kind of sexual escapades they both got into some deeply philosophical conversations about feminism from the surprisingly knowledgeable ladies of said establishment. He got several approving looks for that, especially from Pepper and Natasha while Loki looked just the tiniest bit smitten, but Steve quickly dismissed that as his own heart playing tricks on him.

Everyone mingled and enjoyed dessert before Steve gathered up his nerve and stepped over the shelf by the fireplace where he had set down Loki's folded coat that had the pair of gifts he had been working on hidden away within it. Steve could feel the many curious eyes on him as he picked up the folded coat and made his way back to everyone.

" Ah my coat!"Loki said as he immediately recognized the article of clothing as his favorite peacoat that he had left behind here at the tower. Steve smiled fondly as he retook his seat and handed the folded up jacket to Loki, who playfully made grabby hands at it.

" Thank you so much for keeping it Steve." Loki said with a smile that naturally made Steve's heart do that telling little flip-flop.

" Don't mention it Loki."Steve said while feeling said heart begin to pound as nervousness gripped him, he honestly did not know how Loki and Thor would react to the gifts he had hidden in the peacoat.

" What are these?"Loki asked with a small frown of confusion as in the process of unfolding his coat the wool fell away to reveal to medium sized, flat rectangular packages that were pristinely wrapped in soft paper, one in green and the other in red.

" Steve?"Loki asked as he looked up at the super soldier while Thor sent Steve a quiet, knowing smile of his own.

" J-Just a little something for you and your brother." Steve said all the while feeling his face heat up as all eyes were zeroed in on him, Loki, and Thor.

Blinking owlishly oki looked back down at the two packages and then handed the package wrapped in red over to Thor who eagerly accepted it. All eyes were on the Asgardian brothers as they went about unwrapping their gifts from Steve. Where Thor happily tore away the paper, Loki was a bit more restrained as he thumbed at the pieces of tape holding the wrapping together before pulling the paper away to reveal the treasure Steve had given him.

" By the Norns! Friend Steve you have outdone yourself!" Thor exclaimed when his eyes finally fell on the elegantly framed drawing of him and Loki that Steve had made from nothing but his own memory. While the initial drawing Thor had seen in Steve's sketchpad that day had been portraits of him and Loki smiling forward with their arms around each other, the drawing Thor had received was of he and his bother facing each other and grinning brightly, every freckle and highlight captured in hyper realistic detail against a neutral light blue background.

" Brother did you s-"Thor began to say as he turned the framed drawing to show Loki when he and everyone else froze.

Loki's face was unreadable, but his eyes were laser-focused on his own framed drawing from Steve, the portraits of him and Thor together and smiling. No one breathed, especially Steve who couldn't help but wonder if he had just seriously offended the Norse God he secretly loved. For the longest time everyone just watched and waited with bated breath and Loki himself stayed utterly still, not even blinking. Then with this tiny sort of choked of gasp, Loki blinked and then brought the framed drawing to his chest and hugged it with reverence while his eyes grew overbright with emotion. A crooked little smile spread across Loki's face as he looked first to Thor, who felt his own throat close up at the sight, before he slowly turned his gaze to Steve and finally spoke.

" Why are you so good to me Steve Rogers?" He asked quietly, his voice nearly a whisper and open adoration in his otherworldly green eyes.

Steve had to duck his head and swallow the lump that immediately formed in his throat. Thor reached out and cupped the side of Loki's neck, making the younger God turn to smile at him and lean into his brother's touch with a watery little chuckle.

From where she sat, Pepper was in quiet awe. Tonight had already made it clear that Loki was nothing like the madman they had seen lead the Chitauri invasion, but to see Loki unashamedly showing just how deeply he was touched by Steve's gift drove away any lingering apprehension in her mind as she subtly wipe something from the corner of her eye. From where he sat Happy found himself getting a tiny bit misty-eyed as he watched Thor pulled his raven-haired brother into a slightly awkward but no less loving embrace, the two of them still being mindful of the glass frames they were holding between them. Rhodey just smiled quietly as he sent Loki a thoughtful look.

Once the Asgardian brothers pulled apart they turned their attention to the rest of their friends.

" See here everyone, look what Friend Steve has gifted me and my brother!" Thor said as he eagerly held up his own gift with obvious joy. Loki quickly wiped at his eyes and followed his brother's example, proudly holding up his own gift for everyone to see.

Steve felt his whole body grow warm as his friends all openly admired his artwork.

" These are amazing Steve!" Pepper said as she ran a reverent hand over the frame of Thor's gift.

" Wow, these are like photographs they are so accurate."Rhodey commented as he shared a grin with Loki.

" I can barely draw stick figures."Happy said good-naturedly.

" Be honest Hap, you couldn't really call them stick-figures." Tony quipped, earning a swift elbow to the ribs from Pepper that had him letting out a wheezy chuckle as he winked at his dear friend and Head of Security.

" Is there anything you aren't good at Cap?"Clint asked with mock-exasperation as Steve gave him a shy grin.

" Hey he can't fly unassisted, just jumps really high if the occasion calls for it."Bruce pipped up, earning chuckles from everyone and an exaggerated show of concession from Steve.

Natasha just sent Steve this quiet, knowing look that had the super soldier quietly smiling back.

" You talents know no bounds friend Steve, I think I speak well for my brother when I say that we will cherish these gifts for the rest of our lives." Thor declared with a bright grin.

There was so much Loki wanted to say, so many things he wanted Steve to know. All Loki could do was nod in full agreement with his brother and hold his own gift tightly.

A friend was all he could be to Steve, this wonderful man deserving more than Ebony Maw's discarded play thing, but it did not stop the ache of yearning that shot through Loki as Steve shyly smiled back at him.

" I wish I was worthy of you Steve Rogers."Loki thought to himself with a quiet, secret sigh.

Oh if only Loki knew how Steve Rogers felt the exact same way regarding him.

The rest of the special night went on jovially, everyone settling into the warmth that came with being together, while Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy continued to get to know the true Loki Odinson.

A few days later, on a sunny and mild Monday morning...

Loki stood in front of his mirror, adjusting the lovely rose-gold colored tie he had around his neck and then smoothing out the lapels of the classic black suit he had chosen for work. A deep charcoal grey dress shirt underneath gave the tie that extra pop. In a shimmer of seidr his raven locks and green eyes were veiled by rich auburn hair and deep coffee brown eyes and a matching light beard and mustache. He stood Lukas Odensen once more, ready for what was bound to be a very busy day at the museum.

Loki turned from the mirror and found himself smiling softly as his disguised coffee brown eyes immediately settled on the picture frame that stood on his bedside table. Steve's gift stood in intimate prominence within Loki's bedroom and in all honesty it actually helped to have a portrait of his brother and himself to turn to on those lonely nights where the nightmares robbed him of his sleep. The past weekend had been wonderful, Loki spending the night on Friday and Saturday, surrounded by his brother and the rest of the Avengers, having Steve close by in particular.

He had also showcased how he could simply lay on the sofa while he slowly rebuilt the parts of the city still in need of repair. When they had found out that Loki was donating every paycheck he earned from the Met to Tony's victim compensation fund and other charities, Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy had all looked at him in awe before a deeply emotional Pepper had simply rushed over to him and given him a crushing hug that could actually rival on of his brother's. The respect shining in both Rhodey and Happy's eyes was the cherry on top.

During the weekend, Loki and Clint finally got a chance to speak with each other privately. The archer would not hear a single word of apology from the Norse God. Instead Clint shared his own feelings about having his mind taken over, of doing awful things while under the thrall, and the myriad of devastating emotions that had crashed through him once Natasha had literally knocked sense back into him. Clint told Loki in no uncertain terms that the moment he understood that Loki was being controlled by someone else, that awful moment in the aftermath of the invasion when Loki's corse had sat up and Ebony Maw has taunted Thor through his brother's corpse, Clint had banished all hatred he had felt for Loki. With great difficultly Clint had admitted that Loki's autopsy haunted him, especially that God-awful word Corvus Glaive had brutally carved into Loki's back. Loki had been stunned to see the tears that clouded Clint's dark blue eyes.

"That word he carved into your back... you are not that, never that do you understand Loki? Fuck him and everyone else that had anything to do with what happened to you."

Clint had said this with pure vehemence and he had not let up until Loki himself had cursed Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, and Obsidian Kull with some of his own colorful language. They had truly made peace together in that moment and Loki could count Clint Barton as a friend without any of the gnawing guilt that had been plaguing him.

On Sunday evening he had parted with his brother and the other residents of Avenger's tower with hugs and quiet grace. Again it was not goodbye, just see you at movie night and maybe even dinner again later this week and don't forget to video call us once you get to work.

Loki quickly shook himself of his reminiscing and got finished getting ready. He pulled on his favorite black peacoat, smiling at the memory of Steve returning it to him with the gifts for him and Thor wrapped inside, grabbed up his laptop and finally headed out the door to start another work week. The bus ride to the museum was blessedly uneventful and Loki felt a smile come to his face when he got off the bus and saw that the white marble steps of the Met were already teaming with people waiting to come in and enjoy the museum. There were large banners hanging on the front facade of the white building advertising the new exhibit for Midgard's precious metals and minerals.

Loki could see the two SHIELD agents where they were parked down the street. He paid them little mind, he had agreed to their presence after all, and on a day like today with so much going on, they were an added security measure to keep an eye on things.

Loki as Lukas Odensen smiled warmly and exchanged "good mornings" with the security personnel as he made his way into his place of employment through the designated door and had to go through the heightened security measures. As he made his way to the employee elevator with his lanyard and ID around his neck, Loki smiled as he saw some of the other museum employees rushing about making sure everything was in place and adjusting accordingly. They were preparing to get rightly swamped today.

Loki made quick work of getting upstairs and holing up in his office. After he set up his laptop and sent some emails to Mrs. Dumont and a couple of other colleagues, Loki fished out his phone from his jacket pocket to make his much loved video call to everyone at Avenger's tower.

Thor of course was overjoyed to see his brother's disguised but smiling face, and everyone quickly fell into the easy banter, this time around Clint being the sassiest while Steve quietly admired Loki in his auburn haired disguise and perfectly tailored suit. All too soon Loki had to sign off from the call and get to work. Before he ended the call Loki gave his assurances that he would indeed come to movie night this week. He shared a warm goodbye with everyone, lingering a little longer than needed when he bid Steve goodbye and hoping no one caught on to such before he pressed the button and ended the call.

Loki got busy working on outlines for his latest articles and also using the exhibit mapping software to tentatively mock up the space to be used for the collection of priceless collection of Tiffany Lamps that would be on display at the Met two months from now. A glance at the watch at his wrist told him that the Met was now open and people were no doubt passing through security and heading for the newest attraction, as well as the rest of the museum in general. Once he had typed away for a couple of hours, Loki stood up with a smile and decided to go and finally see the visiting collection for himself.

He smiled and nodded to any colleague he crossed paths with, thankfully not running into Sandra who was still going strong with her on again boyfriend, before ducking into the elevator and heading downstairs. True to his predictions the entrance wing was already teaming with excited visitors from all walks of life. Most were lining up to see the new exhibit, while others were heading off in various other directions to see the other parts of the grand building.

With his ID Loki had an easier go with the extra security, circumventing the large line and going through the metal detectors into the large wing.

"Marvelous." Loki said quietly to himself as he took in the vast wing filled with precious metals and gems in glass display cases. The walls of the wing were covered in black velvet panels, while the floor was a matte black linoleum. The bright white lighting from up above made everything spark. It was like stepping into one giant jewelry box, and that was the feeling the designers charged with this exhibit were going for.

Smiling warmly at the patrons who had already made their way into the wing, Loki started to walk about at a sedate pace, starting at this stunning amethyst and rhinestone crown that seemed to almost be ethereally floating within it's display case and making his way around the wing. If he happened to notice several eyes more focused on him than on the magnificent jewels on display, Loki did his best to be gracious about the appreciative looks he was receiving from many a lady, and a few gentlemen for good measure. Loki had just come to a stop in front of a display of raw gold and uncut gems when he suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, his every instinct yelling out that something bad was about to happen.

In a split second decision Loki took a step back leaving a copy of Lukas Odensen for all to see while he veiled himself. Before he could cast any kind of protective shield over everyone inside the wing, several black cylindrical objects rolled along the floor, almost completely camouflaged by the matte black floor material. In the next instant a blinding white light flashed through the entire wing, accompanied by this almighty pulse of deafening noise that nearly knocked everyone off their feet and shattered many glass cases throughout the wing. Loki of course stayed veiled from mortal sight and easily held his ground, the flash of light and horrid sound having no ill-effect on him whatsoever.

The God of Mischief noticed that the alarm system that had been put in place for this wing hadn't gone off, even the steel security doors that were meant to come crashing down in the event of an emergency were tellingly not fulfilling their function. Another deafening bang pulses through the wing, shattering more glass in its wake. Loki wills his decoy to protectively shield a young man close to him from the newest barrage of flying glass as the remaining display cases that had not initially shattered succumbed to the onslaught of dreadful sound.

Through the renewed chaos and screams Loki reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his phone. He had it in mind to call 911 only to see that there was no signal on his phone either.

"Jammed the signal for good measure I see."Loki said lightly to himself in mild annoyance.

He looked up in time to see a tall figure dressed all in black and with a full gas mask obscuring his face seemingly materialize out of thin air. The unknown man held a strange, white colored assault rifle in his hands that he promptly raised and started firing at the ceiling. While more chaos reigned due to the gunfire and the implications of certain death if anyone tried anything, Loki casually walked over to the gunman to get a better look at his odd-looking weapon.

"Hmm, looks like plastic which would explain how you managed to get past the metal detectors. Clever."Loki said to himself as he stood just an arms length away from the assailant. Said assailant finally took his finger of the trigger and spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you would all kindly remove your watches and jewelry things will go much easy for everyone." The masked man said as five more similarly disguised figures emerged from the dark corners of the wing with large duffel bags and similar wicked looking plastic weapons on hand.

Loki watched as these black clad men greedily snatched up the valuable items that had been on display scattered on the floor and anything the helpless museum patrons had to offer. Loki watched unimpressed as his own decoy was robbed of his phone and watch, smirking a little at knowing that said items would disappear in a wisp of smoke the moment the thief placed them in his bag.

The God of Mischief found himself in quandary. He could care less about the gold and jewels that were being stolen, but all of these civilians were at risk and if he tried anything he ran the risk of someone innocent getting caught in the crossfire, especially with that trigger happy leader he was standing right next too constantly putting his pointer finger to the trigger of his gun, eager to let off another round of bullets even though he had everyone innocent in the room properly terrified. In addition, Loki had to also think about himself, he might end up exposing his presence on Midgard and that was a whole other powder keg that would go off.

The sound of police sirens in the distance caught Loki's ears, and those of the brazen thieves as they snatched everything in their sights.

The decision of what Loki would do was made for him when a woman's terrified scream shot through the air.

"NO PLEASE! NOT MY BABY!" Came the desperate wail, the room watching in horror as one of the robbers roughly wrenched a toddler from her terrified and distraught mother.

The child, a beautiful coco skinned baby girl with her hair done up in two adorable little pom poms tied with white and red polkadot bows screamed at the top of her tiny lungs and tried to struggle against her cruel captor.

"Rainer, what the fuck are you doing?"One of the other masked robber's asked, pausing in his own scrambling for valuables when he saw was his cohort had done.

"Cops are here somehow, taking this little bargaining chip with us. Everybody's a sucker for babies."This Rainer said with a callous shrug.

"No please! Don't take my daughter! Giver her back! Anita!"The mother screamed as she tried to reach for her sobbing child.

"Shut up bitch!"Rainer barked before he pointed his rifle right into the woman's face, fixing to execute her right then and there.

For one horrifying moment everything stood still, everyone froze. An eternity seemed to pass by, everyone paralyzed and powerless to do anything more than watch as baby Anita's mother was about to be murdered before their very eyes.

Then in the span of a blink, Rainer's white gun was suddenly flying out of his hand and sailing across the wing. It came to a dead stop, seemingly in mid-air just a few feet away from the leader of the robbers.

"Wh-What the fuck?"Said Leader asked in utter bewilderment.

Bewilderment turned into pure, unadulterated terror as before the eyes of everyone in the room, a spark of green fire materialized seemingly out of nowhere and swirled about until if grew and morphed into this tall and imposing figure. When the green fire dissipated, there stood someone no one in their wildest dream would think to ever see.

Loki of Asgard towered over everyone in the room, dressed in full, gleaming gold armor with his green and black leather robes underneath. From his broad and gold spaulder covered shoulders hung a billowing green cape. Atop his head was a new version of his signature horned helmet with the top of his head exposed and his long ebony hair falling in waves about his shoulders and down his back. In his pale, long-fingered hand he held Rainer's rifle aloft.

Loki's eyes casually scanned the room before he slowly turned to face the leader of this group of thieve who went and ruined his Monday morning. The Leader had taken his mask off, a look of disbelief on his ashen face as he gawked at the Norse God who had materialized out of thin air before his very eyes.

With his piercing green eyes seeming to stare into the man's very soul, Loki summoned his seidr. Before everyone's eyes, Rainer's large assault rifle let out this plaintiff crackling noise before simply dissolving into a pile of dust in Loki's hand. Loki dropped his hand and the remnants of the gun fluttered to a little pile on the floor. Loki stared at the leader unblinking, his entire face completely neutral, maybe even looking a little bored. Then Loki blinked and turned his head with exaggerated slowness till his green-eyed gaze zeroed in on Rainer, who still had the baby named Anita dangling without care from his arm.

One moment Loki was across the room and the next he took one step forward and just melted into thin air, before he was materializing right in Rainer's face, glaring at him with such ferocity that those around them actually flinched collectively.

Then the next moment Loki's eyes shifted away from Rainer and settled on Anita, who was looking at him with wide, tearful eyes. In an instant the terrifying expression on Loki's face morphed into this look of the purest tenderness and reassurance. That one look seemed to ease Anita's fears as she reached her little hands out to the imposing man with the golden horns and gave a soft mewl, wanting to go to Loki. Without sparing Rainer a glance Loki reached out and gently hooked his hands under Anita's little arms and lifted her up from her captor's slack hold.

Loki held Anita up so that they were face to face, Midgardian baby girl staring into the eyes of the actual Norse God of Mischief who gazed back at her with warm otherworldly green eyes. With a soft sniffle Anita blinked and then her face was breaking out into this wide, innocent grin that showed that she only had her two front teeth and just how devastatingly cute she was. Everyone watched utterly in awe as Loki's own face broke out into his best grin for the baby, his whole face lighting up.

With a silvery chuckle Loki brought Anita properly into his arms and cradled her against his armor covered chest. Anita stared up at Loki with rapt attention, utterly fascinated as only a baby could be. Anita reached up towards Loki's face with her tiny hand, chubby fingers wriggling to get close. With another chuckle Loki bowed his head and allowed Anita to promptly grab hold of his nose and tug on it to her heart's content.

From where she was still kneeling on the floor, Anita's mother watched on in complete astonishment as Loki held her child like she was the most precious thing in the universe. Loki drew back after letting Anita have her fun and then brought up his other hand. Everyone watched on in fascination as a ball of pure white seidr materialized in Loki's palm before it grew and shifted into a definite shape. When the glowing magic faded, Loki held a small blond-furred teddybear in his hand, dressed as none other than his older Thor, complete with winged helmet, red cape, and a squishy looking mjolnir sown into the right paw. Loki held up the newly conjured toy to Anita who eagerly accepted it with a happy little squeal and held it tight, giving Loki another one of her best bunny-toothed grins, her dark eyes glittering with innocent joy, all terror and tears from before forgotten.

Loki's smile grew quieter as he simply enjoy the sight of Anita's joy before he remembered the situation they were all currently in. With a sigh Loki turned to gaze down at Anita's gobsmacked mother. The woman's dark eyes grew comically wider as Loki gracefully took a knee before her and proceeded to carefully hand over Anita. The mother snapped out of her stupor when she realized she was finally getting her baby back. With a broken cry she eagerly took hold of her Anita and brought her to her chest, sobbing at the feel of that tiny little body against her heart. With a hitched breath and not thinking things through the woman reached out and pressed her hand to Loki's chest, right over his heart before he could stand up and spoke.

"T-Thank you." She whispered with her eyes brimming.

She watched as Loki averted his gaze for a moment, a shyness coming to his features before he looked back up at her.

"Think nothing of it my lady, I will not let any further harm come to any of you."Loki said firmly before he reached up and covered the woman's hand on his chest with his own, as if making a solemn vow.

"He's so warm."The woman couldn't help but think as she and Loki connected through touch, an otherworldly energy radiating from Loki's very skin against her own.

The Norse God then gently pulled the woman's hand away from his chest and stunned the woman and everyone else further by pressing a gentlemanly kiss to the back of it before releasing it and smoothly rising to his feet. Then with speed no human could ever manage, Loki had Rainer by the collar of his outfit, lifting the criminal clean off his feet as if he weighed nothing at all.

Movement out the corner of Loki's eye had him turning to see the leader and the other criminals trying to make a subtle exit through the emergency exit in near the back of the wing. Loki was having none of that as with a graceful sweep of his other hand, he had these men swept off their feet and then sent flying upwards where they were all non-too-gently smashed against the ceiling, their duffel bags laden with ill-gotten gains and weapons all falling harmlessly by the wayside. While his leader and fellows groaning and cruse where they were held immobile on the ceiling, Rainer gripped at Loki's wrist and started pleading.

"Please don't kill me! Please I'm begging you! We weren't going to hurt the kid, we just wanted the jewels!"Rainer cried at a pitch so shrill it might have done the job of smashing all the glass in the place for him and his cohorts instead of the heavy percussive instrument they had used.

Loki just rolled his eyes before he looked to Anita and her mother, who were both glaring at Rainer and his pathetic excuses.

"My lady how would you like me to deal with this jackass and his fellows?"He asked casually.

Anita's mother seemed slightly stunned by the question presented to her before a slow smile spread across her own face.

"You said it yourself Mr. Loki, he's a jackass."The beautiful black woman said as she hugged her daughter to her and glared at the man who had tried to take Anita hostage.

Loki gave the woman a nod and a warm smile before he turned his eyes back to a terrified Rainer, the smile turning into a downright vicious smirk as his green eyes started to glow ominously white with seidr. A few moments later Rainer's terrified screams echoed through the entire wing as Loki doled out his punishment for daring to lay a single finger on an innocent baby.

Outside dozens of police cars were out in front of the museum, a permitter having been set up and the press already assembling and reporting of explosions being heard within The Met and numerous museum patrons who had both been inside the museum and in the process of entering the building scrambling to get away to safety merely twenty minutes ago.

The police commander of scene had just brought up the mouthpiece of the loudspeaker to his mouth to announce that they had the entire building surrounded when one of his officers shouted and pointed to the front doors of the museum.

"Sir look, the doors are opening!"The unnamed officer yelled.

The veritable army of officers all went on high alert, weapons pointed at the Met's doors, ready to open fire if necessary.

There was a moment were everything was still, the very air crackling with tension. Then the many eyes trained on the museum doors spotted movement. Then an unearthly animal sound cracked through the air as of all things an actual donkey came flying out the door and running down the steps of the museum, bellowing in what could only be described as utter despair. While the unexpected donkey ran about the stairs with no one daring to go near it just yet, the chaos continued as with a terrified yell a man all dressed in black came flying out the door next, like he had been tossed out like the morning newspaper. The guy grunted as he landed hard on the stairs and bounced a few more steps down before he was suddenly yanked up into the air and held there upside down by some unseen force.

"What in the Sam Hell is going on?"The Commander muttered.

The police officers and media personnel watched in astonishment as four other men all dressed in black came flying out of the Met, bouncing unceremoniously against the hard stone steps before joining their fellows by getting yanked up in the air and floating upside down. Then the donkey that was running back and forth across the stairs got yanked into the air too, all the while bleating even louder and thrashing its legs about in the air frantically in terror.

They all stayed suspended in the air for what seemed like hours, everyone else waiting with bated breath to see what craziness would happened next, and they were not disappointed.

With terrified yells and a donkey scream, the six floating bodies were yanked sideways by the same unseen force and smashed together with a dull thud, hard enough to bruise but controlled enough not to shatter bones. The next instant they were being pulled apart again. Another tense moment passed and then yet again the six were smashed into each other with painful force. It happened one more time before the commanding officer had enough as he screamed into the loudspeaker.

"Hey, whoever is doing this freaky shit, you knock it off right now! You've made your point, now drop 'em!"He ordered sternly, his salt and pepper mustache almost flying off his own face.

The six dazed bodies suspended upside down in the air suddenly righted themselves and floated towards each other til they were once again pressed together, the donkey weakly bleating and with its legs spasming instead of kicking. A gigantic green ribbon materialized out of thin air and wrapped around the six bodies, the forked ends tying together into a perfect bow. The demented present then floated down the steps of the museum to gently land just a few feet away from the army of police officers assembled.

The commanding officer and some of his lieutenants carefully crept closer to the dazed and tied up men and donkey, completely stunned by the sight of the green bow tied around them. One of the lieutenants took a closer look at the ribbon and frowned when he saw that the green bow actually had a print on it, some kind of golden colored emblem with two curved horns. Before the lieutenant could inform his commanding officer of what he noticed, one of the other officer's voices sounded.

"Commander Ferguson look!"The gobsmacked officer shouted as he pointed back to the doors of the museum.

Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the front doors of The Met and the world seemed to stop yet again at what they saw.

There emerging from the doors of the museum was a tall and fair-skinned man in a sharp black suit and auburn colored hair. On his arm was a young black lady who held a happily babbling toddler to her chest. Both looked a bit harried but otherwise alright as they made their way out of the museum. Behind them a sea of similarly harried but otherwise unscathed civilians came sedately pouring out of the large white building. No one was running or screaming their heads off, just calmly walking out into the midmorning sun. Ferguson snapped out of his own stupor and started barking orders to his men and women to go and help the newly freed civilians while he himself rushed up the steps with his lieutenants to reach the auburn haired man and the young mother at the very front of the slow deluge of people.

"Ma'am are you and your baby alright?"Ferguson asked immediately once he was within arm's length of the trio.

"Y-Yes me and Anita are ok."The mother replied while Anita gave Ferguson her best bunny-tooth grin as she squeezed her Thor bear close.

Ferguson found himself melting just a little at that devastatingly cute grin before he quickly regained his sternness and turned to the auburn haired man.

"Are you alright sir?"He asked firmly, noting the young man had a lanyard around his neck with some for of ID hanging from it, signaling that he was a museum employee.

"Y-Yes officer, I am alright too."The man replied with an accent to his voice.

"What's your name son?"Ferguson asked.

"Oh I am Lukas Odensen, I am a historian and exhibit designer here at the Met." The auburn haired man replied.

Ferguson nodded before he turned to the mother and asked for her name as well, Helena Godfrey.

"Right, Mr. Odensen and Ms. Godfrey, what happened? Did you see what went down inside?"Ferguson asked.

Before either Lukas or Helena could actually speak, a commotion behind Ferguson had all eyes turning to the base of the steps where the criminals responsible for this entire mess were sitting literally gift-wrapped for police.

"The damn donkey's glowing."Ferguson muttered, giving voice to what his eyes were seeing.

Sure enough the bellowing donkey was glowing with strange green energy. Within a few minutes the animal was engulfed in the green light. Then there was a soft popping sound, much like a firecracker going off. The green light vanished as quickly as it had come, and in its wake there was no longer a bellowing donkey, but a slightly overweight, baldheaded man in nothing but his underwear, unashamedly sobbing in relief.

"How the hell is this my life?"Ferguson asked himself with a sigh as several officers rushed to free the bad guys from the gaudy green bow to cuff the five still clothed and render medical assistance to the guy that had just stopped being an actual ass.

As the chaos continued, Lukas Odensen was quickly hurried off towards the waiting ambulances and EMTs to get checked over, but just a few feet standing veiled in invisibility beside one of the Roman style columns that made up the facade of the white building, Loki stood and watched as his copy and Helena and her baby Anita were whisked away to safety. He had just finished repairing the entire wing, setting every display right so that not even one shard of glass was out of place along with every precious object that had nearly been stolen today.

With one final look at the chaotic scene, Loki summoned his seidr and teleported away from museum, leaving his decoy to keep up the appearance of being just one of the people caught up in the robbery attempt that had unfolded today.

Meanwhile inside the penthouse of Avenger's Tower...

Natasha sat back in her seat on the plush circular sofa and calmly sipped at her green juice as she watched her teammates all try to calm a frantic Thor, who was insisting on summoning mjolnir and flying to The Met to get to his brother. There were so many reasons why that was such a bad idea, Tony had even had JARVIS list several in succinct fashion, but the Thunderer was adamant.

The whole issue became moot however as in a flash of swirling green seidr the subject of Thor's desperation simply materialized out of thin air inside the penthouse.

Loki stood still garbed in his ornate golden armor and new version of his signature helmet. It was yet again the same color scheme but a totally different design and feel. For a moment he stood there tall and regal, looking every bit the Norse God. Then he blinked and everything about his seemed to deflate as his helmet and armor melted away in a shimmer of golden magic, leaving him in less formal black and green Asgardian leathers.

Taking a deep breath and with his pale cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment, Loki finally addressed his gobsmacked brother and friends.

"Good morning everyone, I am so sorry to just drop in like this unannounced but as you all know by now, there was a bit of an incident at work and..." He trailed off before he reached up and rubbed at the back of his neck, his entire expression turning sheepish as he continued.

"I uh... I may have done something a bit rash."

He was naturally met with stunned silence. Biggest understatement in the history of understatements.